Evergreen shrub can become an ornament of any room. Pachistachis yellow is distinguished by its external characteristics and bright flowering. However, to care for the crop, you need to have some knowledge, otherwise the bush will not develop well.
Pachistachis - what kind of flower is it, to which family belongs
Evergreen shrub belongs to the southern cultures. The plant is a perennial, can be grown both in open ground for landscaping, and as an indoor flower. The culture belongs to the Acanthus family. Under natural conditions, the flower grows in the tropics.
Pachistachis - houseplant
Brief description, history of origin or selection
At home, the bush can reach 100 cm in height, its leaves are large, oblong, lowered down. The color of the leaves is bright green. The shoots are stiff. Inflorescences are spike-shaped. In an adult bush, white small elongated petals appear on the buds. With proper care, flowering can last up to 2 months.
The plant was first seen in Peru and Mexico. However, in the wild, culture is also found in Asia. In Europe, the plant appeared thanks to travelers who brought an exotic plant.
Important! The plant can form buds immediately after planting. There are cases when peduncles appear on young cuttings that have recently been planted in the ground.
Varieties of indoor plants with names that look like
Despite the difficulties in care, pachistachis is often found as a houseplant. At home, only two types of culture are grown.
Pachistachis yellow (Pachystachys lutea)
Pachistachis yellow is often grown on window sills. Externally, the plant looks like a shrub with stiff shoots. The height of the bush reaches 50 cm, the leaves are large with veins. The size of the leaves can reach 10 cm. The inflorescences have a dense texture and are often compared with an ear or candles. The bush blooms from June to September.
It looks like pachistachis yellow
Pachistachis red (Pachystachys coccinea)
Another type of plant is pachistachis red. The bush is grown much less often, this is due to the large size of the plant. With proper care, the bush grows to 2 meters. Spreading shoots, large leaves. Inflorescences have a deep red color, buds resemble a whisk.
Red pachistachis
Home Care for Pachistachis
The cultivation of pachistachis requires compliance with certain rules. Mistakes in leaving often lead to the death of bushes.
Illumination and temperature
Indoor pachistachis flower grows in bright light. Lack of light can lead to illness. However, in direct sunlight, the bush may die. Therefore, it is necessary to grow the plant in a room with a sufficient amount of light, in the summer it is recommended to shade the plant. If necessary, special fluorescent lamps are used. When placing the bush on the windowsill, preference must be given to the western side of the house.
Proper placement of a houseplant
In summer, the air temperature in the room should be + 17 ... +22 degrees, and in winter it should not fall below + 15 ... +17 degrees. Such indicators are necessary so that the plant can go into a dormant state.
Watering rules and humidity
When leaving, yellow pachistachis requires timely watering. In the summer, it is necessary to water the bush plentifully several times a day. However, accumulation of water in the pot should be avoided. In winter, the frequency of watering must be reduced to 1 time in 5 days. In order for the plant to develop well, it is necessary to monitor the humidity of the air. To do this, pachistachis is sprayed with water using a spray gun.
Note! So that the roots of the bush do not decay, there should be holes in the pot to remove excess fluid.
Top dressing and soil quality
A room flower needs regular top dressing, it is also demanding on the type of soil. The soil should be light and air permeable. With independent preparation of the soil, it is necessary to mix in equal proportions humus, peat and deciduous soil. It is also necessary to add sand to the prepared soil.
As a top dressing, a special complex type of fertilizer for flowering crops should be used. It is necessary to introduce nutrients after abundant watering once every 2-3 months.
Flower Tank Size
The size of the capacity for the plant depends on the age of the culture. Young bushes are grown in medium-sized pots. When the bush grows, it must be transplanted. The roots of the bush should not touch the walls of the pot.
Proper selection of a pot for planting a crop
Important! To obtain a lush bush in one pot, several cuttings can be planted at once. After rooting, the ends must be pinched.
Pruning and transplanting
To obtain a healthy flower, it is important to know how to properly care for pachistachis. One of the important criteria for leaving is a transplant and timely pruning of shoots.
So that the crown is lush, and the plant is less susceptible to disease, pruning is performed. Cultural shoots at the age of 1 year are cut so that a stump of no more than 15-20 cm in length remains above the soil. After the leaves appear from the buds, 3 of them must be removed. In the spring before flowering, you need to pinch the tops of the shoots. Such procedures are carried out annually.
Trimming bush pachistachis
The trimmed bush needs to be transplanted into a new soil mixture. To do this, the bush is carefully watered and carefully removed from the pot.
Important! In the process of transplantation, it is necessary to use drainage from small pebbles. Its layer is placed on the bottom of the pot and covered with soil on top.
Features of flowering plants
During flowering, pachistachis are very beautiful. The duration of flowering depends on proper care. It is also necessary to timely trim old shoots, since peduncles appear only on young shoots.
On a note! After flowering, the flower stalks must be cut with a lower pair of leaves. Such actions will stimulate the emergence of new buds.
Period of activity and rest
After flowering, a dormant period begins for the plant. At this time, it is important to observe the following care features:
- Watering should be reduced, but the soil should always be moist. It should not be allowed to dry out.
- Fertilizers should not be applied throughout the rest period.
- The plant can not be pruned.
During the period of active growth, the plant needs careful care and timely fertilizer application. Lack of nutrients in the soil reduces the duration and abundance of flowering bush.
Types and shape of flowers
The plant is famous for its buds and vibrant flowers. Externally, the bud of yellow pachistachis has the appearance of an ear with flowering leaves, so some gardeners compare the bud with shrimp.
Pachistachis yellow
The red type of culture has a bud that looks like a sail or a magnificent panicle. In some cases, the buds may be pink.
Pachistachis red
Propagation of pachistachis by cuttings
Pachistachis has only one method of reproduction - this is cuttings. Using this method, you can get healthy seedlings.
How to propagate pachistachis with cuttings correctly:
- For propagation, apical shoots are used, on which there are two internodes. The shoot must have at least 2 leaves.
- Leaves are cut in half.
- The slice of the shoot must be performed at an angle.
- The escape must be placed in Kornevin for several hours.
- A light substrate is placed in small containers for seedlings and cuttings are planted there for rooting.
- On top of the container is covered with a bottle, which must be covered with plastic wrap. However, the film must be removed every day.
After the roots appear, the stalk must be planted in a large pot.
Propagation of culture by cuttings
Important! If the stalk loses leaves, it’s not scary, the roots will appear anyway. For propagation, young shoots that did not form peduncles are used.
Growing problems, diseases and pests
Pachistachis, the care and reproduction of which is usually not difficult, may in some situations suffer from floriculture errors during cultivation. The main problems and their causes:
- The plant fades if there is not enough fresh air in the room.
- Leaves may fall and turn yellow if the plant is often exposed to drafts.
- The bush discards the lower foliage under the influence of cold air or due to prolonged drought.
- Flowers often wither if moisture gets on them.
- Leaves become pale - this is the first sign of a lack of nutrients.
Many flower growers are wondering why the leaves are twisted and wilted in pachistachis. The cause of this problem is a spider mite. With its presence on the leaves, you can notice a small cobweb.
Also a whitefly appears on the bushes, as a result of which the leaves of the plant become covered with small spots, and it begins to fade. The insect is recommended to be eliminated manually.
Important! When insects appear, the plant must be carefully washed with water and, using special preparations, carry out the treatment.
Among diseases, root rot must be distinguished. There is a problem as a result of excessive use of water. To eliminate rot, it is necessary to reduce watering and transplant the plant to a new place. In other cases, pachistachis has a high immunity to diseases and is rarely exposed to them.
Growing pachistachis on the windowsill may have some difficulties. However, subject to all care rules, the plant will delight with its lush flowering until autumn. Propagating the culture is very simple, it is enough to know all the subtleties of the cuttings. The plant can be grown in the summer in the open ground, and in the winter transplanted into a pot.
